Honeydew police have issued a stark warning to senior citizens following a rise in sophisticated fraud scams targeting residents across the area.

Speaking at an awareness session hosted by the Honeydew Community Police Forum (CPF), the Little Falls & Strubens Valley Residential Community (LIFCO) and Honeydew SAPS, officers outlined a growing list of scams being used by criminals to gain access to victims’ bank accounts, personal information and savings.

LIFCO chairperson Claire Fauchet said fraud continues to escalate as criminals adapt to new technologies.

“Every month, we hear about new fraud cases. As technology evolves, so do the methods used by criminals, and many people are caught off guard because these fraudsters are extremely convincing,” she said.

Police warned that elderly residents are particularly vulnerable.

“We see senior citizens being targeted because criminals view them as soft targets,” said Warrant Officer Molapo.

Among the most common scams reported to police are bank impersonation scams, where fraudsters pose as bank officials and claim suspicious transactions have been detected on a victim’s account.

Sergeant Sontundu stressed that legitimate banks will never ask clients to disclose one-time pins (OTPs), banking passwords or sensitive account information over the telephone.

Residents were also warned about courier scams, fake speeding fines, fraudulent SMSes and emails containing malicious links designed to steal personal information or banking credentials.

Another growing concern is SIM-swap and cellphone hacking fraud.

Sergeant Molupe explained that a sudden and unexplained loss of cellphone network coverage could indicate that criminals have gained control of a victim’s number.

She urged residents to contact their service provider immediately if this occurs and never disclose card verification values (CVV numbers) or banking details to anyone claiming to represent a financial institution.

Police also highlighted the growing use of voice-cloning technology, where criminals record a person’s voice during a phone conversation and use artificial intelligence to generate convincing voice messages aimed at deceiving family members or friends into sending money.

Residents attending the session shared their own experiences of fraud attempts, including cloned bank fraud-line numbers, fake mobile network promotions and fraudulent messages purporting to be from SARS.

Facebook Marketplace scams remain another concern. According to police, criminals often provide fake proof of payment before arranging for goods to be collected through courier or ride-hailing services.

“If you are selling something online, always confirm that the money reflects in your account before handing over the item,” Molapo advised.

Police also warned residents about tender fraud, business email compromise scams and payment-diversion schemes, where criminals alter email addresses by a single character to redirect large payments into fraudulent accounts.

Officials urged residents to remain vigilant, verify information independently and report suspicious activity immediately.

As fraudsters continue to develop increasingly sophisticated tactics, police say awareness remains one of the most effective tools in preventing residents from becoming victims.